Thoughtful Writers

While Santa Rosa is my home today, I was raised looking over the Pacific Ocean on the Monterey Peninsula. As I learned to love craft beer, the food and wine loving communities on the southern end of the Monterey Bay seemed to fall behind. As recently as a couple years ago, I found it difficult to satisfy my craft beer thirst when heading home for the holidays. That said, a lot has changed in the past few years and a big part of that is right next to the Wharf at Peter B’s. They recently closed the shop down for a few weeks for a remodel and invited me in to see the changes. Continue reading Peter B’s: New and Improved

The concept of craft beer has been moving beyond the pint glass and into other aspects of our lives for some time. When you expect more from your beer, you tend to expect more from other things as well. Food is the easiest extension of this idea and in Santa Rosa we’re seeing that good food and good beer go hand in hand. This brought me to a hidden neighborhood located right in the middle of Santa Rosa to visit a restaurant that bring goof food, good beer, wine and community together under one roof. Join me as I check in on Spinster Sisters. Continue reading Hiding in Plain Sight: Spinster Sisters

Craft beer themed establishments are opening seemingly all the time in Santa Rosa. If they’re not a beer bar, then they might be a restaurant with a large craft beer selection or a even an off-premise bottle shop. Heritage Public House was one of the earlier places to open, but apparently, they liked it so much they moved to Mendocino Avenue (the former Video Droid building) and opened all over again. Here’s a look at the new Heritage Public House. Continue reading Heritage Public House: Redux

Craft and micro-breweries have taken the lead in applying green practices to beer production. The most environmentally friendly breweries have emphasized the use of low-impact, renewable sources of energy. They often use less water to produce their beer in comparison to major brewing companies such as Guinness and Heineken. Environmentally conscious breweries limit or reuse the waste produced to brew beer. In addition, they use organic ingredients, reducing the amount of harmful pesticides and fertilizers introduced into the environment. Some of the more dedicated breweries are also developing (or have developed) green packaging or transportation solutions. Continue reading Spotlight on Eco-friendly Breweries in North America

In the recent Beer of the Week, I talked about the history of the Mendocino Brewing Company. It was actually in the town of Hopland that the brewery got its start. In that location, the first post-prohibition brewpub (in California) would open in 1983. Unfortunately, as the brewery grew and moved operations to a few miles north to Ukiah, the Hopland location was no longer needed. The space was closed in 2010 and has remained shuttered until this past fall. On November 28, 2012, the doors opened again, this time as the Hopland Ale House. Continue reading Hopland Ale House Brings Craft Beer Back To Its Beginnings

During SF Beer Week, I want to put a spotlight on one of my favorite places. Located in Larkspur Landing, Marin Brewing Company has been a staple in the North Bay for over 20 years. Owner Brendan Moylan’s first venture into the craft beer world (with Moylan’s Brewing in Novato following) is a personal favorite as a halfway point between San Francisco and Santa Rosa. On this evening, I made it a stop for me and my two girls as we came back from the City on the Ferry. Continue reading Marin Brewing Company

Beer and food. It’s just a natural pair. When you get a chance to sit down to a meal that’s been well prepared with all of the components well thought out, that’s when a meal becomes more than simply sustenance and evolves into an experience. For the Hopmonk Brewer’s Dinners, Chef Billy Reid has the beer, food and atmosphere in mind when preparing a full lineup of food. This past Sunday, Lost Coast brewery was special guest to be paired with his dishes. Continue reading Hopmonk Brewer’s Dinner with Lost Coast Brewery

I got an email this morning announcing the arrival of Odonata’s Saison and I had to share the news with everyone. Odonata Beer Company is based in Sacramento and is the basically a two man operation. Peter Hoey, formerly of Sacramento Brewing Co., and Rick Sellers, formerly of DRAFT Magazine and Pacific Brewing News, have teamed up for (in my opinion) the most exciting new brewery in California in 2010. Their beer has been trickling out to the masses for a while now, but with the arrival of Saison, they now have their flagship. Please read below for a couple press releases as well as a recipe from the Homebrew Chef. Continue reading Introducing Odonata Beer Company

As craft beer drinkers, we tend to like to drink local. What’s better than sitting down in a brew pub to have beer brewed fresh on premise? If not at a brewpub, check the local scene and see what’s going on. There may be local breweries on tap that you couldn’t find anywhere. This is a great idea most of the time. One exception is if you find yourself in Monterey, CA. Continue reading Hop Press: When Drinking Local Fails You